When it comes to access to true high speed, broadband internet, not all things are equal across the North Island. Many rural communities face slower speeds than their urban counterparts and some even lack service altogether. “I am continuing my campaign to ensure that households and businesses across the North Island have access to true high speed, broadband internet” said Claire Trevena, MLA North Island, in a recent letter to people and businesses in her constituency. “I am putting together a profile of the constituency for government and the large internet providers in the hope that having a constituency-wide business case will assist in persuading both Ministers and corporations for the need for 21st century level of connectivity,” she said. Trevena is particularly interested in: • The impact on individual businesses – both existing and potential. What are the daily struggles businesses face by not having the speedy connection? Have businesses used connectivity in their decision to

North Island residents are being disproportionally affected by BC Hydro’s two-tier billing, according to MLA Claire Trevena. “Under the BC Liberals the cost of hydro has skyrocketed, but many people in this constituency have no choice but to turn to electricity. Combine that with homes that are not well insulated and the bills become unmanageable,” said Trevena. “Fuel poverty is a reality for many people. From the seniors who have to make a choice between paying their electricity bill or buying groceries to families who see cost spiraling out of control and are faced with disconnection.” Trevena has again written to the BC Utilities Commission, arguing that two-tier pricing unfairly discriminates against people in the North Island’s rural and remote communities. Trevena wrote to the BCUC 18 months ago, raising these concerns; following that a review of the system is being undertaken. “Two tier pricing is supposed to encourage conservation. But that doesn’t happen if your home is not we

Claire is hosting a series of community consultation meetings and welcomes you to join her. Port McNeill: Tuesday, October 18th from 7 pm to 8:30 pm at the Black Bear Resort Meeting Room. Port Alice: Wednesday, October 19th from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at the Port Alice Community Centre Board Room Port Hardy: Wednesday, October 19th from 7 pm to 8:30 pm at the Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce meeting room, 7250 Market St. Sointula: Thursday, October 20th from 7:30 pm to 9 pm at the F. O. Hall Alert Bay: Friday, October 21st from 10 am to 11:30 am at the Alert Bay Community Hall, 185 Cedar St For more information phone 1-866-387-5100 or email: Claire.trevena.mla@leg.bc.ca

Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal government has made ferries unaffordable for coastal British Columbians, said New Democrat spokesperson on ferries Claire Trevena. “British Columbians are being squeezed by the Christy Clark government every which way they turn. The B.C. Ferries annual report shows that a decade of fare hikes and mismanagement has left coastal residents footing the bill to keep our province’s ferry system afloat,” said Trevena. Trevena is attending the B.C. Ferries Annual General Meeting in Vancouver where the company’s annual report was formally tabled. “It was quite incredible to listen to the head of B.C. Ferries stand up and say in his speech that fare affordability is important, considering the devastating fare hikes British Columbians have faced in the last decade under this government,” said Trevena. “The B.C. Liberals are sending British Columbians a bigger bill for the vital services they rely on. It’s not just ferries: people are facing huge hikes to hydro rates,

For Immediate Release, 30th May, 2016 Campbell River – North Island MLA Claire Trevena is asking people to show they want high speed, fibre optic, internet. Telus is assessing where it will expand in the coming years and Trevena is urging people to show that their North Island home needs that high speed link. “It is – literally – just a click away,” said Trevena. “Telus is collecting the information and will decide its expansion from the response it receives. We all need to tell the company that what is provided at the moment is not good enough – we want that fibre connection directly to our homes and our businesses like tens of thousands of other British Columbians enjoy. “People and communities in the North Island are falling behind because they don’t have that fibre technology coming directly to their homes or their business. Even in the Mount Waddington region where new fibre was laid, the connection from the hub to people’s home is copper which is much slower.” The page to go to f

North Island MLA Claire Trevena has again written to the Minister of Health calling for a rethink on plans for paid parking at the new Campbell River hospital. She questions the rationale she has received about charging for hospital parking which appear to be simply because it is done at other hospitals. Trevena noted that elected officials from around the North Island have asked the Minister and the health authority to allow free parking at the hospital. “Their concerns are that in addition to dealing with the worry of a hospital visit, their citizens are already dealing with multiple hour car and /or ferry journeys at times in adverse weather,” she said. “There is a serious worry about people’s ability to pay, the stress that will impose on families and the burden on hospital staff. A hospital is an important community resource it should serve the community fully. Clearly this is not happening as can be evinced by the communities’ vociferous opposition to paid parking.” Further with

North Island MLA Claire Trevena has decried the latest BC Liberal budget as a “fantasy”. “Ahead of the last election, the Premier said that the problems of BC would be washed away by the power of the LNG industry. We’d have hundreds of thousands of jobs. We would become – as the premier’s campaign bus slogan falsely promised – debt free. And we’d have a prosperity fund filled with billions of surplus dollars,” said Trevena. “But The LNG pipe dream is evaporating rapidly. And creating a prosperity fund when there is nothing but MSP payments to fill it is really a fantasy,” “It is a fantasy fund at the core of a fantasy budget.” Speaking in the BC Legislature Trevena cited a number of problems in the North Island which were not addressed by the budget: rising costs for families for hydro, ferries and MSP; the financial squeeze facing School District 72 and the school closure process it is going through; and plans to bring in charges for parking at Campbell River hospital among them. She

Claire Trevena, MLA (North Island) Media Release For Immediate Release 01 October, 2015 Trevena Adds Voice to Hospital Parking Concerns Campbell River – The North Island MLA has called for parking to remain free at the new Campbell River regional hospital when it opens in two years’ time. Claire Trevena has written to the Minister of Health, Terry Lake, and the CEO of Island Health, Brendan Carr, asking for plans to charge for parking to be reconsidered. “Charging for parking adds cost to accessing care, adds stress to families, and is an anomaly in Campbell River where there is almost no paid parking,” she said. “Campbell River is a regional hub and people who come from up island and the islands definitely need their cars to get to the hospital. This is a concern for patients and their families. To add insult to injury, the revenues from the parking won’t be going to the hospital.” Trevena worked with many stakeholders over the last number of years to e

Legislation introduced today would nurture B.C.’s shipbuilding industry, benefit the province’s economy, and create jobs, say B.C.’s New Democrats. “The Provincial Shipbuilding Act would ensure that ferries, seabuses and any other vessels used by or for the public are built, maintained and retrofitted in Canada and provide direct economic benefits here in B.C.,” said Claire Trevena, New Democrat spokesperson for ferries. Trevena noted that when she proposed similar legislation last year, it was not met with support by the B.C. Liberal government. “B.C. Ferries will be converting the Spirit Class vessels to LNG and needing to replace or upgrade 22 other ferries over the next 15 years. If these ferries were built in this province, we would see tremendous growth in this industry. But this would require a commitment from the Liberal government that we have not seen to date. In fact, we are seeing the B.C. Liberals agreeing to more and more ships built overseas.” The bill would also entrenc

BC Hydro’s two tier pricing is leaving many people in the North Island with extremely high bills and for some that means the possibility of disconnection. North Island MLA, Claire Trevena, has written to the BC Utilities Commission to urge a review of the policy for those communities where there is no option to BC Hydro and electricity. “My office hears from numerous people who are facing massive bills because they have gone into the second tier. But for many people there is no choice – it is electricity or nothing,” said Trevena. “The BC Liberals have increased the cost of hydro to untenable levels; they’ve taken away retrofit programmes which helped bring down the cost. All that’s left are massive bills for people who are already under pressure.” Trevena says she recognizes that two tier pricing is supposed to reduce consumption but that does not help people who have no alternative fuel source. She is asking BCUC to find an alternate system for those who rely solely on BC Hydro for p